Dawud Walid

DETROIT – A Michigan Muslim civil rights leader is among many worldwide insisting that Islamic State extremists don't speak for his religion.

Dawud Walid said Friday that headlines about the group's beheadings and other atrocities committed in the name of Islam frustrate his work as director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations' Michigan chapter.

The case stems from an event scheduled at Allegan High School in late January 2012. The evening's guest was billed as a former Muslim terrorist who converted to Christianity.

Police shut the event down; citing safety concerns. But Agema says there were no safety threats.

A city attorney declined to comment for the story. But said this in a written statement:

“This lawsuit is disappointing in many ways. It is based on conjecture, logical fallacies, and, more disappointingly, factual inaccuracies. The plaintiffs did not even spell one of the defendants’ names correctly. It is disappointing that the lawsuit wrongly imputes motives to the police officers.”

The lawsuit names the city manager, police chief and other officers in their official capacities and as individuals.